Pyrotechnic device



Filed March 31, 1951 United States Pat PYROTECHNIC DEVICE Jim Sorgi, Hudson, Ohio Application March 31, 1951, Serial No. 218,646

Claims. (Cl. 4440) This invention relates generally to pyrotechnic devices and more particularly to an improved ilare device having special utility as a re lighter.

One object of this invention is to provide a device for igniting solid fuels such as charcoal, coal or logs which is convenient to use and relatively rapid in operation, the device containing sufficient fuel that it may be used without additional fuel for cooking if desired.

Another object is to provide a device which is constructed so as to produce not only high heat but also luminous flames which not only facilitate the igniting of solid fuel, but which also adapt the device for use as a ilare or light if desired.

Another object is to provide a device which provides a relatively high heat for an extended period making it suitable .for use in cooking without the need for additional -fuel and which has a convenient match type igniter incorporated therein so that additional ignition need not be used.

Another object is -to provide a device which is rugged, compact and resistant to moisture whereby it is rendered especially useful to campers and military personnel.

A further object is to provide a device which is so simple to lignite that it may be safely used even by children and which cannot be accidentally set off.

Other objects and advantages ofthe lighter device of 'this invention will present themselves to those familiar with the art on reading the following specification in conjunction with the drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred embodi- .ment of the device of this invention;

Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the preferred embodiment with the outer covering removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the internal construction;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side view, partially in section, of a modified embodiment; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the striking stick or match..

A fundamental concept of the fire lighter device of this invention is to provide a container of inammable material packed with lumps of charcoal or other suitable fuel and having an igniter mounted therein for ready ignition .of the charcoal. To facilitate the ignition of the charcoal as well as to provide a luminous hot ame the charcoal pieces are given a thin coating of paraffin or other wax prior to being packed into the container. This wax ignites 'quickly when the charcoal is heated, much like a candle, 'and penetrates into the porous body of the charcoal as soon as it is ignited because of capillary action to provide for luminosity of substantial duration.

The wax is preferably applied by melting it and spraying it on the charcoal with an air .spray gun using the ice 2 iiuidit'y and decrease the amount of solvent required. If desired, however, the charcoal lumps may be coated by passing them through a bath of molten wax. The charcoal lumps preferably have a mean dimension or diameter of from one half to one inch.

A preferred embodiment of the fire lighter device 10 of this invention is shown in Figs. 1-4 of the drawings where like numbers refer to like parts. The device 10 comprises a drum-shaped container 11 preferably formed of cardboard having a paper or cardboard end member 12, a combustible liller in the form of charcoal lumps 13 and means for igniting the combustible material.

The container 11 is wrapped with paper 14 as shown in Fig. l, the ends of the paper being gathered and tied as indicated at 15 to completely enclose the container,

This paper is preferably a heavy kraft paper and may or 'hearth or barbecue lires.

To provide for ready removal of the outer paper covering 14, a tear string 16 is employed. This string is placed in the position shown in Fig. 2 prior to wrapping the container, being glued to the lower end member 12 and led z `outwardly through a small hole 117:1 in the -outer wrapping 14 just prior to tying the ends of the wrapping. Thus, to remove the outer wrapping the user grasps the end of the string 16 and pulls downwardly, the string tearing through the wrapping 14 so that it may be readily pulled or peeled from the inner container 11. With the wrapper removed the device 1l) appears as shown in Fig. 2 except that if the device has been unwrapped in the above described manner, the tear string 16 will be pulled away from the container 11.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the sides and ends of the container 11 are perforated as indicated at 17 to provide ready access of air to the charcoal within the container. The perforations 17 are so located as to provide a chimney-like effect within the container regardless of whether it is standing upright or on its side, thus convection currents are set up which supply sufficient quantities of air to the charcoal 13 during the combustion thereof.

To ignite the charcoal 13, a pair of flares 18 and an iguiter 20 are provided, the igniter being connected to the iiares by short lengths of conventional black powder fuse 21 which are wrapped around the ends of the flares 18. It will be noted that the fuse is wrapped twice around the ends of each ilare to insure ignition thereof even though the fuse should break during burning for the fuse will burn in both directions from the break.

lacquers are heated during spraying to increase their The ares 1S are preferably conventional signal type ares comprising cardboard cylinders filled with ignitable material which is exposed at both ends.A To hold the fuses 21 in contact with the ignitable material string seizing 22 is provided at the ends of the flares.

The igniter 20 consists of a cardboard cylinder 23 mounted in the sidewall of the container 11 adjacent to one of the perforations 17. The interior of the cylinder 23 is filled with a mixture of a very combustible substance such as antimony sulfide or organic material and an oxidizing agent the material being similar to that used in the heads of conventional safety matches. This material is made up in the form of a paste 24 and placed in the cylinder 23 so as to overflow around the sides of the perforation 17 and hold the cylinder in the position shown, thus the iiller not only serves as the igniter material but .also as an adhesive to hold the cylinder 23 in place. l

u 4 To ignite the material 24 a striker 25 is provided. The end of this striker 25 is coated with a mixture of red phosphorous in a binder such as dextrin and an abrasive filler such as powdered glass. This mixture is-similar to that used on the strikingsurface of boxes of safety matches. The striker coating is indicated at 26. To ignite the material 24, the operator merely rubs\the coating 26 of the striker25 over the material-24,-the friction generating sufficient heat to ignite the phosphorous, which in turn ignites the material 24. To facilitate this and also to enclose the material 24, a strip of paper- 27 is attached to the side ofthe container 11 to form a tunnel or receptacle into which the striker 25 may be inserted, only the edges of the strip 27 being glued to the container 11. f In Fig. 3 the end of the striker 25 is shown just prior to insertion Vinto the tunnel formed between the strip 27 and the sidewall` of the container 11. As the striker is inserted, the striking surface 26 rubs overthe ignitable material 24, igniting the material 24 which in turn ignites the fuses2l. The strip 27 is preferably provided with an upstanding pointed end as shown, which gives a ready indication as to where the strikerl should be inserted.

The striker 25 is normally housed beneath another strip 28 which is similar to the strip 27 although somewhat shorter, and is mounted on the container at a point remote from the strip 27. Thus to use the striker 25 it rst must be withdrawn from the strip 28 before it can be inserted in the strip 27.

The operation of the preferred embodiment is as follows. Assume for purposes of illustration, that a charcoal barbecue fire is to be ignited. The rst step is to remove the outer wrapping 14 with the tear string 16 and place the unwrapped device near the center of the re bed. The charcoal which is to be ignited is then placed around the device 10 in such fashion as to leave the end which is uppermost in Fig. 2 exposed. The striker 25 is then withdrawn from the position shown in Fig. 2 and inserted into the tunnel formed by the paper strip 27, being given a relatively rapid inward movement to move it rapidly over the ignitable material 24. ln most instances this will ignite the material. If not, however, the striker 25 may be reciprocated over the material a few times until it does ignite or the paper strip 27 may be torn off to expose the material 24 so that it may be rubbed harder from a different direction.

AS soon as the material 24 is ignited the fuses 21 are lighted and proceed to burn toward the flares 18, igniting the ends thereof. The ignition of the flares causes their flames to spread over the charcoal lumps 13 readily igniting the parain on the outer surface thereof. As the parafin burns the lumps themselves are ignited and some of the paraffin melts and is absorbed into the lumps by capillary attraction, thus in a very short interval all of the charcoal in the container 11 is ignited, the paraffin serving to producea luminous fiame which spreads through the bed of charcoal to be ignited, rapidly starting the whole bed to burn. The flares 1S, of course, have oxygen liberating substances therein so that air need not be supplied to them and they soon produce sufiicient heat to produce convective circulation 17 over the lumps 13. This circulation not only serves to provide oxygen for the burning of the charcoal lumps 13, but also causes the flames and hot gases caused by combustion to be carried out into the large charcoal bed to ignite it.

f course, as soon as combustion is well started the cardboard container 11 burns away to fully expose the inner charcoal 13 so that it may readily ignite the rest Vof the bed. However, it has been found that if the cardboard of the container is approximately a sixteenth of an inch in thickness it will burn away at such a rate as to remain integral until such time as the device is fully ignited, when it finally crumbles to expose the charcoal l13. The end caps 12 are preferably somewhat thinner than the side walls of the container 11 with the result that they burn away more rapidly, augmenting the chim- .ney-like action of the perforations 17.

A modified embodiment 10a of the device is shown in Fig. 5. The modified form is substantially the same as the preferred embodiment with the exception that the striker 2S is normally carried in the paper strip 27a which encloses the ignitable material 24a and instead of having two separate flares which are fused to the igniter a single flare 18a is provided which is integrally formed with the igniter. This flare is preferably mounted as shown at the center of the device 10a with the ignitable substance 24a exposed through one of the perforations 17a. In this embodiment the ignitable substance 24a is in direct connection with the combustible material 30a within the Hare 18a, as shown in the drawing. Thus, the ignitable substance 24a burns directly into the material 30a to ignite it and no fuses need be employed.

To ignite this device the striker stickv 25 is simply pulled upwardly as shown by the arrow 31, causing the abrasive end 26 to pass over the ignitable substance 24a. Should ignition fail to occur for any reason, the striker may, of course, be reciprocated as in the preferred embodiment. Otherwise the action is the same.

Either of the devices of this invention may also be used in a somewhat different manner if desired, for they may simply be ignited by lighting the gathered ends of the outer wrapping 14 with a match or by other means. This paper then burns until such time as the flame reaches the igniter 21h-after which the operation is essentially the same as has been described. This method of yoperation has been found to be preferable in many instances where-it is desired to lay a re, such as in a fireplace, for lighting at some later time.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a superior fire lighter device has been provided, which is not only simple and safe to use, but which has utility in lighting fires for cooking, with or without additional fuel, for heating, or simply for purposes of illumination. For example, a device may be used as a very adequate highway liare so that the camper having the device of this invention along on a trip need not carry conventional flares.

A further treatment may be had of the device to strengthen and integrate it if perchance it is going to ybe carried or used where it might become wet. After the device is assembled it can be baked at a low temperature to cause the wax to flow enough that the wax on each piece will fuse with the wax on all other contacting pieces. With this relationship the assembly becomes a self-sustaining unit even though the outer wrapping and containerare soaked away,` the wax also serving at all times as a waterproof coating.

Other uses of the device of this invention will, of course, present themselves to those having particular problems to meet. Various changes or modifications in addition to those set forth therein may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention whose scope is commensurate with the following claims. l

What is claimed is:

Vl. A self-igniting and self-kindling fuel cartridge comprising a Cardboard container filled with an impacted agglomeration of charcoal lumps which have fused surface coating of parain wax, a fiare comprising oxygen 'liberating substances imbedded as a core within said charcoal agglomeration and adapted to ignite the wax thereon, a combustible fuse connecting said core with a point on the surface of said container, and a friction stimulated igniter secured to said container at said point on the surface and physically in contact with said fuse. 2. The combination set forth in claim l in which said igniter is a cylindrical package containing a solidied mixture of antimo-ny sulfide with an oxidizing agent and having an exposed 'surface which protrudes through said container whereby to vbe accessible for frictional heat stimulation. Y

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 including a superimposed strip applied along a longitudinal element of said cardboard container over the region of said exposed igniter exposed surface and affording a channel- Way passing over said surface through which there may be inserted a friction stimulating striker.

4. A fuel cartridge comprising a cylindrical cardboard container tted with end closures and tightly packed with charcoal lumps which have been prepared with a surface coating of parafn wax said coatings being fused where they contact each other, a flare imbedded in said charcoal pack comprising oxygen liberating substances of a signal type are of instantaneous combustibility adapted to ignite the wax on said lumps, a re conducting fuse connecting said charge with a point on the surface of said container, and a friction stimulated igniter connected to said fuse and secured to said container at its said point on the surface.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which said igniter comprises a solidified combustible substance to- 6 gether with an oxidizing agent within which one end of said combustible fuse has been imbedded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A SELF-IGNITING AND SELF-KINDLING FUEL CARTRIDGE COMPRISING A CARBOARD CONTAINING FILLED WITH AN IMPACTED AGGLOMERATION OF CHARCOAL LUMPS WHICH HAVE FUSED SURFACE COATING OF PARAFFIN WAX, A FLARE COMPRISING OXYGEN LIBERATING SUBSTANCES IMBEDDED AS A CORE WITHIN SAID CHARCOAL AGGLOMERATION AND ADAPTED TO IGNITE THE WAX 